Shoe lace



July 12 1927. 1,635,884

M. K. GILVEWICZ SHOE LACE Filed Feb. 10. 1927 INVENTOR .9 14 J 7 J2 MICHEELK GILEWIC'Z ATTORNEY BY W Patented July 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES terrorism. 1:. GILEwicz, or NEW .YORK, N. Y.

SHOE LACE.

Application filed February 10, 1927. Serial No. 167,318.

This invention relates to shoe laces and has for an object to provide an improved construction wherein elastic lacing members .may be used with auxiliary fastening structures and present an efiective lacing structure while allowinga quick release when applying or removing the shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lacing for shoes wherein interlocking metal members arevprovided for positively holding the front of the shoe together and associated with this structure there is presented a series of elastic loops simulating ordinary lacing and covering to an appreciable extentthe metal hook members so that substantially the usual appearance of lacing is presented but a quick releasing structure is provided.

A further object, more specifically, is to provide a shoe lace wherein metal reinforcing members are arranged on each side of the front opening with both elastic and metal connecting members associated therewith to releasably hold the front sections of the shoe together.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a shoe with a lacing embodying the invention shown applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front view of the shoe shown in Figure 1, illustrating certain details of the lacing.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view through Figure 1 on line 33.

Figure l is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through Figure 1 on line 4-4.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 1. indicates a shoe of any desired kind, said shoe having the usual front members 2 and 3 which are held together usually by ordinary lacing. In the present invention, an elastic lacing 4 is provided and in addition, hook members 5 and 6 are provided, said hook members being disengage-' ably connected by a strap or link 7. This strap or link is preferably a flat piece of metal having a number of apertures 8, said apertures being adapted to accommodate the hook end of hook 5 at different times according to the position in which the link 7 is designed to be placed. The hook 6 is usually bent over sufiiciently to prevent link 7 from being disengaged therefrom but may be opened by ascrew driver or other implement to remove the link 7 whenever desired. The

track 6 is provided with a body 9' swingably mounted on the eyelet 10 so that it may be swung to the position shown in Figure 2 or swung to the position shown in Figure 1 when the parts are in operative position. Arranged on each side of the opening 11 formed between the front members 2 and 3, are metal plates 12 and 13. These plates are positioned between the respective outer and inner pieces of leather 14 and 15 of which the front members 2 and 3 are made. The eyelet 10, as Well as eyelet 16 and the respective series of eyelets 17 and 18, all extend through the metal members 12 and 13 as well as the leather or other portion of the front members 2 and 3. In this way the metal members 12 and 13 are riveted firmly in place and, consequently, when link 7 is disengaged as shown in Figure 2, the front members 2 and 3 may be pulled apart by a swinging action and when pulled together, the parts will assume substantially the position shown in Figure 1. When moved to this position, link 7 may be engaged with hook 5 and the parts locked in their closed position. This back and forth movement is permitted by the fact that the lacing 4 is elastic and yields or contracts when desired. Part of the lacing 4 is brought through the eyelet 10 and is secured to the link 10 by reason of the metal clip 19 engaging the under surface of link 7.

What I claim is:

1. A shoe lace comprising an elastic lacing member permanently fixed in place and capable of stretching when the shoe is being put on or taken ofl, and disengageable secur ing means independent of said lacing for locking the front of the shoe together.

2. A shoe lace comprising an elastic lacing member permanently fixed in place, a pair of plates adapted to be connected to the two front parts of the shoe, said lacing member being threaded through said plates, and an adjustable fastening member arranged in one end of said plates for adjustably and disengageably connecting said members to.- gether independent of said lacing.

.3. A shoe lace comprising a pair of embedded metallic plates, one plate being embedded on each side of the front opening of a shoe, a series of eyelets extending through said plates and through adjacent parts of the shoe body, elastic lacing permanently positioned so as to extend through said eyelets in the manner of ordinary lacing, said elastic member being capable of stretching when ill) the front of the shoe is open for the insertion or removal of the foot, and disengageable means including a hook and link for normally holding said plates jnxtapositioned.

i. A lacing for shoes comprising a link connected to one part of the front of the shoe, a hook connected to the other part of the front of the shoe, said link having a series of openings for receiving said hook 19 whereby the front of the shoe may be adjnstably connected together, and auxiliary fastening means positioned as a lacing arranged below said link, said auxiliary means consisting ot loops of elastic material, eapahle of stretching when the front or the shoe is opened and contracting when the front of the shoe is; closed, part of said elastic n1e1nher fitting over said link for giving a uniform appearance to the front of the shoe.

MICHAEL K. G lLi HVICZ. 

